Page 62 of Liam

“Whoa.” Addie says, stopping just inside the gym. “When you said you had a gym in your garage, I assumed you meant a couple of mats and a punching bag.” She sweeps her gaze over the space. “This is?—”

“Extreme?” I cut in. “I know.” It was the first big purchase Linc and I made when we started making money off our content. I wouldn’t necessarily say that I regret the decision, but we definitely didn’t need to go as extreme as we did. In our young, dumb minds, I think we justified it by considering it a gift for everyone else. We got enough equipment so all our brothers could be here at once, and it wouldn’t feel cramped. That’s never happened. “It’s ridiculous.”

“Not really,” Addie’s quick to say, assessing me from head to toe. “I mean, clearly you use it.”

I cross my arms, hide my smirk. “Are you flirting with me?”

She shrugs, stepping closer. “Is that whatyouwere doing yesterday?”

Shit. She has me there, and flirting is definitely not what we should be doing right now. I clear my throat, try to find even ground again. “I don’t recall.”

Another step closer. “You don’t recall telling me you wanted to devour every inch of me? From my tits?—”

“Trust me, I remember what I said,” I interrupt, taking a step back. “And, one: I didn’t tell you Iwantedto. I said I would if I were around you a second longer.” That isn’t significantly better. “But—” I heave out a sigh. “I shouldn’t have said that. I took things too far, and I’m sorry.” There, I apologized. That was the first thing I needed to say, and now it’s done.

“You don’t need to apologize…”

“I do.” I swallow my nerves, push through my anxiety. “We should talk.”

Her eyebrows rise. “Okay…?”

I lead her toward the row of bench presses and have her sit down. Then I sit on the bench opposite. And I… I bite back a groan. Obviously, I’ve noticed Addie’s body before. But it’s different now. She’s in her workout clothes—a sports bra and tight shorts—every inch of fabric glued to her flesh, leavingjust enough to the imagination. And what little is left has me imagining things I shouldn’t. Especially in gym shorts, and especially with her sitting only inches away.

I’ve been sporting a half-chub since the moment she walked out of the studio, wearing what she’s wearing, and announced “Ready!” as if she didn’t just take all the oxygen from my lungs—or the ten-mile radius surrounding my lungs.

“Dammit,” I hiss, removing my shirt and slipping it over her head. “I can’t think with you looking like that.”

She giggles, slipping her arms through the sleeves, before casting her gaze over my now bare torso.

“Don’t look at me like that, either.”

Her eyes roll. “What are you going to do? Blindfold me?”

“Only if you beg.”

“Liam!” she gasps. Eyes huge. Jaw unhinged.

I sigh, exasperated with myself. Clearly, I have no fucking self-control when it comes to her. I rub at my eyes, murmur, “I need you to work with me here, Addie. It’s taking a hell of a lot of restraint not to…” I trail off, shaking my head to rid the thoughts.

Her eyes are right on mine, unblinking, unwavering. She taps my legs with the tip of her shoes and asks. “To what?”

“To bend you over that bench and fuck you raw. That’s what.” I lean forward, ignoring her look of shock, and settle my elbows on my knees. If I’m going to get through this, I have to push through the lust scorching through my veins. “Listen… there’s a reason I left like I did yesterday, and it has everything to do with me, and nothing at all to do with you.”

“Right.” She instantly pulls away, her eyes no longer able to meet mine. “Because even though you’re physically attracted to me, you can’t see me as anything other than that ten-year-old girl?—”

“Obviously, that’s not true,” I cut in.

“Because I hurt you once, so that means I’ll hurt you always?”

“Stop,” I plead. “You gave your reasons for doing what you did, and I understand, and I’ve forgiven you. You know that, right?”

She still can’t look at me when she asks, the insecurity in her tone making me weak at the knees, “Then what is it?”

I take a moment, trying to gather my thoughts. Thoughts that have run circles in my mind since I left her yesterday. “Ilikeyou, Addie. A lot.”

“Great,” she scoffs, rolling her eyes. “I’ve been friend-zoned.”

I heave out a breath, trying to find a semblance of clarity. This all made sense when I came to my conclusion at some point yesterday, but now… I don’t know. “I like being around you in general, but more than anything, I like the way being around you makes mefeel. I don’t think you realize how grateful I am to you for pushing me. For forcing me out of my comfort zone and encouraging me to see the world differently. I want—no, Ineedsomeone like you in my life, and I really want that someone to be you.”

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